Lemon Chicken, Mashed Sweet Potatoes and Carrots, and Snow Peas

So I typically don't cook dinner on Friday night... but I am back from vacation so I decided to give my husband a good meal since I have no clue what he has been eating while we were gone.

I make this chicken all the time and we love it. The mashed sweet potatoes/carrots were a new recipe and we all ate them so I would say the review was definitely favorable.

Lemon Chicken

4 chicken breasts, boneless, skinless (and pounded very thin, I always ask my butcher to pound them for me so I don't have to do it)

3/4 cup flour

1/2 tsp kosher salt

1/2 tsp freshly ground pepper

3 tbsp canola oil

1/4 cup fresh lemon juice

1/4 cup white wine

1/4 cup butter

1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped (if you don't have it, you can definitely make it without)

Rinse and pat dry chicken. Combine flour, salt and pepper in a shallow dish. Heat oil in large saute pan over medium high heat. Dredge chicken in flour mixture on both sides and then place in the oil. Brown chicken about 3-4 minutes each side (depends how thin chicken has been pounded- you want it to be cooked through). Remove from skillet and keep warm. Add lemon juice and wine and cook 1 -2 minute until thickened. Swirl in butter. Add chicken, turning to coat in sauce then sprinkle with parsley and serve.

Mashed Sweet Potatoes and Carrots with Sweet and Sour Walnuts (Bon Appetit Nov. 2005)

1 pound sweet potatoes

3 tbsp butter, divided

1 pound carrots, peeled and cut into 1/2 inch slices

2 tbsp water

pinch of kosher salt

1/4 cup honey

1/4 cup sherry wine vinegar

1/2 cup walnuts

Preheat oven to 400. Bake potatoes until tender, about 45 minutes. Cool slightly then peel. If you have a food mill, put them through it into a large bowl. Or if you don't you can use a kitchenaid mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and mix until mashed. Set aside.

Melt 1 tbsp butter in a large pot over medium heat. Add carrots, 1 tbsp water and salt. Cover and bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium and simmer until carrots are tender, about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. (Add the second tbsp of water if they get dry). Add 2 tbsp butter. Using a potato masher, mash carrots coarsely and stir potatoes into carrots. Season with salt and pepper. Can cover and chill at this point for up to 1 day or serve.

Stir honey and vinegar in a small saucepan to blend. Add walnuts and boil until sauce is thick and syrupy, stirring occasionally, about 10 minutes. Cool slightly (if they cool too much they will stick together and you will end up with one big block of walnuts... if this happens just reheat it to melt the syrup.) Serve on top of potatoes.

Snow peas

Saute snow peas in 1/2 tbsp butter over medium heat until cooked through.